The Best Revenge

by Michele L. Rivera

Cleo Tanner and Amelia Hastings might attend the same high school, but they come from different worlds. It’s not until both girls are wronged by their exes that they come together to exact vengeance on those who wronged them.

The plan is simple—Amelia and Cleo will pretend to be a happy couple at school to make their exes jealous. After all, nothing is harder than seeing your ex move on quickly. They would know.

There’s only one minor Amelia’s straight and Cleo’s a lesbian.

The set up can still work, though. The whole thing is just for show. It’s not as if anyone will develop real feelings (that would be ridiculous!). Cleo isn’t even Amelia’s type, because Cleo’s a girl, and Amelia isn’t attracted to girls...or is she?

286 pages, Paperback

Published November 12, 2025

About the author

Michele L. Rivera is a Massachusetts native who has been writing lesbian romance since 2013. It all started with the release of her first book, “Taking the Lead,” which is a fictional story loosely based on her own coming out experience.

Through her writing, Michele strives to share her strong personal beliefs that love is love and that happily ever afters do exist.

When she’s not writing love stories or poetry, she enjoys cuddling with her adorable cats, sipping on whiskey, watching movies, and searching for artistic inspiration within the human experience.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just wanted to read something angsty, something melodramatic, something funny and I think I found it in The Best Revenge. Cleo Tanner and (straight) Amelia Hastings are not one whom you could call high school friends, but somehow they got close and came up with a plan to get back at their ex by dating each other. As with teens’ romance, sometimes certain scenes can be dramatic and there were times when we had Cleo & Amelia having a 180; one minute, they are fine and before you can blink your eye, things between them somehow get unpleasant and sticky. But hey, I still enjoy reading their story regardless.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michele wrote it so its good.!

[Issy Waldrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dating for revenge is never the best policy, even more so when you know that, and do it anyway. But when it's done so that you can spend time with your crush, or conversely, you find that you're wanting it more than you'd thought? Well... things just even more complicated.

It's an enjoyable book, very much as advertised. Young adult, with plenty of angst and drama, as hurt doesn't go away easily, but there are also plenty of sweet moments, growth, and you can't help but cheer when Amelia finally comes to terms with herself (there's something special about coming out stories, though of course, things never seem to go smoothly for these two). The supportive cast is great, especially Noelle, and I would love for her get a book of her own.

But yes, enjoyable read that I am happy to have picked up.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually one to read the teenager romances but it is Michele L. Rivera so I said why not. I highly recommend this book for those young lesbians of the world or those who are stuck on the fence. Michele writes the story in such a way that makes it feel like a modern day Annie On My Mind but with so many more witty lines between the two main characters , Cleo and Amelia. Those of you who have ever had feelings for a straight girl in high school will definitely bring you back to a time when there was so much angst you thought you would die. As usual there were parts of the story that had me actually laughing out so loudly the cats ran off. It would be interesting to see a second book about Amelia's sister, but that's just me... hoping.

[Rebecca MacAlister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

I liked the story. It was cute. I wasn't too fond of some of the advice from Cleo's best friend and parents, and I think Cleo should've held a grudge just a little longer. But it was a good story. I like it.

[bookster · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5